Brooke Forman is an LA based singer who studied theater arts at NYC’s Pace university. She grew up doing musical theater which is where she found her roots in music. After graduating, she began working for record labels learning the ins and outs of the music industry. That led her into Electronic Dance Music (EDM) where she wrote and sang on her record with Nicky Romero that went to number one on the charts worldwide. Brooke has gone on a world tour under her stage name Singa with Ultra Music Festival! She’s performed mainstage at Ultra Brazil, Japan, Singapore and Miami’s 20th Anniversary. Brooke completed a residency in Bali as a singer as well.

Maya Mariano is 15 years old and is thrilled to be making her VOPA debut! From a young age, Maya has been unwaveringly dedicated to her singing and performing skills, demonstrating a level of commitment and passion. Maya doesn’t just perform, she also vocal directs and writes harmonies. Her talent has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by her impressive second-place finish in an international vocal competition, which earned her the opportunity to perform as an invited soloist at Carnegie Hall in New York City this upcoming June. Some of Maya’s past theater credits include: The Witch in "Into the Woods", Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors", and Vivienne in "Legally Blonde". Maya remains ever thankful for the unwavering support and belief shown by her family and friends, whose encouragement has been instrumental in her journey.

Dylan F. Thomas recently returned from teaching as Guest Lecturer and Stage Director at Yale University, where he staged the Opera Scenes and taught his unique acting method, The Dressler Technique, in “Acting for Opera”. Dylan was named Opera Program Manager for the GRAMMY-winning National Children’s Chorus’s youth opera program, National Youth Opera Academy, where he teaches acting and co-directs the fully-staged operas during the summer opera camp. As a singer/actor himself, Dylan has performed all over the world in mahy different musical genres, including opera, musical theater, jazz, pop, and classic rock. He spent 11 months performing in several different productions for Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, singing for tens of thousands of people every day. At Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, he had the honor of performing for legendary musical theater lyricist and songwriter Sheldon Harnick in two of Harnick’s musicals: the rarely seen Rex, as well as Fiddler on the Roof. As a passionate educator, Dylan maintains a private acting studio, offering individual, small group, and large group classes for performers in all genres of theater, including musical theater, opera, straight theater, and tv/film. Acting student Eden Kontesz says that Dylan’s technique is “unique, different, and highly effective,” and Grammy-nominated composer Sharon Farber comments that he “offers a new perspective that is truly profound”. Superstar baritone, Quinn Kelsey, a favorite leading baritone at the Metropolitan Opera, shares that Dylan, “utilized his own intuitive twists on the storyline of certain pieces to give me as a singer a different perspective of my interpretation.”

Shira Renee Thomas is the General & Artistic Director of Valley Opera & Performing Arts (VOPA), currently in its 18th season. VOPA has helped launch the careers of many singers and instrumentalists who’ve gone on to perform in organizations such as English National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Academy Awards, and the Hollywood Bowl, to name a few. As a singer herself, Shira has performed all over the world and with some of the biggest stars in opera. Among the numerous awards earned by her, Shira won 1st prize in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Vocal Solo Competition in North Wales, which has hosted such legendary opera singers as Luciano Pavarotti and Bryn Terfel in past years. Having suffered from debilitating recurrent Depression for 25 years, Shira has become an advocate for mental health, and has been interviewed on the subject by National Geographic and KTTV News. She has also written articles for HuffPost and Classical Singer Magazine, and is frequently invited to attend various events and conferences to tell her story of overcoming Depression. Shira is grateful to the staff at Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles for helping her to finally beat the illness and go into remission.